Image-rendering devices such as, for example, monitors, scanners, and printers, often impose distortions on the color characteristics of a rendered image. Hence, matching of color appearance between images and documents transferred among any combination of the digital image rendering devices requires the use of specialized color image processing knowledge regarding the color rendering characteristics associated with different imaging devices. A color management system (CMS) is necessary because different imaging devices have different color capabilities, describe color characteristics in varying terms, and operate among variable color spaces. Such systems generally depend upon standard data structures known as color profiles to determine how to process image pixels.
Photo-product production in retail environments is a significant business opportunity; however, such an environment is very cost sensitive and places a premium on ease-of-use for low-skilled operators. Maximizing the apparent color gamut is very important when producing image centric custom photo-products where end users generally compare the results to silver halide prints. ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles are a professional color management solution and follow an international and accepted standard to enable accurate printed color for all colors that the rendering devices can reproduce. In contrast, achieving accurate color via manual tweaking is nearly impossible due to the complex nature of the rendering device color response. ICC profiles offer the ability to manage color properly to ensure accurate output on various devices. Custom ICC printer profiles can dramatically improve the apparent color gamut of color rendering devices as compared to fleet profiles.
The creation of such custom ICC printer profiles requires the presence of an appropriate color-sensing instrument typically a spectrophotometer, ICC profile creation software, and the skill to execute such process. Although prices for such spectrophotometers and ICC printer profiling software have dropped over the years, the cost is still a barrier for creating custom ICC printer profile in many cost sensitive environments that make use of low skilled rendering device operators. Hence, it is difficult to justify the expense of acquiring the spectrophotometer and training users on the process for creating custom ICC printer profiles in such environment.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved method and system for creating integrated remote custom ICC printer profiles, as described in greater detail herein. A need also exists for automatically delivering and installing the ICC printer profile for specific rendering devices.